Hello all! This week I will hopefully be brief and be gone, as I'm off to California on Wednesday to visit fellow blogger for the Lorax (she hasn't posted yet, but don't worry, she will)! Next week I'll be blogging live from California--or wherever we are by then. We will be road-tripping across the country, so who knows where I'll be posting from!
Theme of the week is..... there is no theme! I found two really neat links for this week, and I designed the challenge around them.
Enjoy!
Challenge 29: Be aware of sad panda problems. So, I came across this article this week:
http://www.grist.org/list/2011-11-09-study-we-have-five-years-to-stop-climate-change-or-it-will-be-to
Now, that fucking sucks. But, what can we as individuals do?
1. Invest in clean energy. Buy it. Vote for it. Realize that--despite what conservatives who work for oil companies/natural gas companies/coal companies say-- we only have so much oil. And that when it runs out--well, we're going to be really fucking screwed. So, it is in our best interest to invest in green energy NOW, so that when the oil runs out, we are able to still, you know, exist.
2. Support for urban/rural forests and vote for regulations to keep them safe. Now, there's a ton (well, billions of tons) of carbon in the air. And we need this carbon to be gobbled up by trees. Now, the problem is that a lot of forest land is now farmland. However, there is still hope. Trees om nom nom carbon, so it would be in our best interest to plant as many of them as possible. Trees also create cleaner air, cleaner water, and an all around better living environment for us human folk-- so let's get on that.
3. Support things that are going to control the population. Now, this is a delicate subject. In fact, even the most green of green leaders will barely even speak about this issue. Al Gore made a statement a little while ago that said something along the lines of, 'we need more people living better lives, not more people living. We need small, strong families'. And--of course *liberal bias face*-- right wing conservatives flipped out and essentially called him a socialist Satan who would personally wonder around performing abortions on everyone. But--despite the crazy of ignorant people--we do need more people living better lives, and not just more people living. Quality of life > number of people alive. Sorry, but that's just this girls opinion. So, how can you control the human population (without having everyone you know sprayed or neutered?)
a. Support/vote for access to birth control. This means free access to birth control, and laws that allow access to birth control. Condoms cost less than babies. And it's in everyone's best interest if people have as many babies as they want-- see keyword want.
b. Don't pressure anyone ever in your life to have kids. We are in a situation where we have the technology to make a very high percentage of pregnancies planned. Which is great. Desired children are generally much more well adjusted. This is not saying that unplanned children aren't loved etc. There is a huge difference between a child that wasn't planned and a child that isn't wanted. I know this is pretty unpopular thinking with most people--but I think that a child knows if it's unwanted, or if a child is born because that's just, 'what you do'. If someone wants 5 kids, and has the means/desire to raise them right--then they should 100% be allowed to have that many kids. When people are educated, and have opportunities/support, they generally choose to have fewer children on average. This means babies for people that want babies and no social pressure for people who don't want them. Everyone wins. There's more resources for the children who are born--and no social pressure on people who would rather co-parent their nieces/nephews/friends' kids than have their own.
c. Support teaching sex education. Once again, I'm going to go out on a huge limb and be really unpopular here and say the following--schools need to teach kids about sex. The United States has many states that teach abstinence only education--and they also have an ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH unplanned pregnancy rate. Over 50% of pregnancies in America are unplanned--that's higher than some sub-Saharan African third world countries. The unplanned pregnancy rate in other first world countries is less than 10% on average. I understand the principles behind not teaching kids about their own bodies and only teaching abstinence only education--I just think it's fucking stupid. You're assuming that parents are teaching these kids these facts of life--clearly this isn't happening. Let's face it--teenagers are going to have sex. They just are. If you think otherwise--you're even dumber than I thought. So, since this is happening, it's probably a good idea for kids to have an idea of how their bodies work-- so that they a. can't be taken advantage of b. don't have a child at 16. Plus, silence breeds guilt about their bodies and can warp kids sexually for the rest of their lives. Just saying.
d. Stop treating babies like puppies. The media loves to make having a baby look easy--case in point, everyone one of those 'Teen Moms' is now a millionaire--but it's not. At all. Not even remotely. Having a baby isn't for sissies--and raising a normal, productive, solid kid is fucking HARD work. People who do it should get medals, seriously. Because that this ain't easy--at all. We need to look at shows like '19/A bazillion Kids & Counting' or 'A Baby Story' or '16 and pregnant' and see that there is massive production manipulation behind these shows. Having a family that is stable and loving takes work--a lot of it. And it doesn't wrap up nicely every 30 minutes. And another thing (as I'm pretty much in full rage blackout right now), let's not have '16 & pregnant' saying it shows the 'real truth' of teen pregnancy when it splices in adorable Huggies commercials at every interval. Those shows are about buying stuff. They want you to have babies so you buy more stuff--not so you find emotional fulfillment through having a child.
Okay. Epic baby rant. Ended.
And yes, 5 years is doable--if we get our shit together POST HASTE. Keep in mind that the Republican party will essentially be running on a "FUCK THE EPA WITH A SHARP THING" ballot--so I really wouldn't be voting for them in 2012--you know, unless you hate clean air and clean water and animals and reaaaaally love cancer--then vote for them all you like!
Challenge 30: Make this Christmas/Holiday season a slow, green one.
On a much, much lighter note:
I won't lie-- I really love Christmas, and I always have. However, the reason I love Christmas is because there are so many events and get togethers to be with family and friends. I was kind of over the gift side of things by the time I was 14--it just feels empty to me. I rather have a 5$ really thoughtful card than an expensive gift any day of the week.
So this year--make it a slow holiday. No crazy. No anxiety. Just be with whomever you love, gather around, and have some fun.
And if you want to give a gift--give a green one.
Okay, where do I get a green gift, you ask?
BEHOLD!
http://www.treehugger.com/giftguide/
Also consider thrift stores, craft shows, anything local. I got a local artisan craft for my birthday--and I effing loved it. Supporting local people, saving resources, and I got a super cute, meaningful gift!
Alright, well that's it for me.
Sorry, that ended up being long as hell.
<3 times
Manic Panic
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